RISE ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED
E
mily Allen, Taylor Terreri, Paige Gifford and Ashley van der Sluys Veer are the winners of the first RISE Youth Essay Contest.
Te Memorial Fund Committee read more
than 80 essays that were submitted and selected the winners in four discipline categories: pre-pre- liminary, preliminary, pre-juvenile and juvenile. Category winners each received an award of $1,000. Here are the winning essays.
‘FEARLESS’ by PAIGE GIFFORD
(PRE-JUVENILE WINNER) Around my right
wrist, I wear a thick, black band that says “Fearless.” Before ev- ery skating competi- tion, I run my fingers over the letters and feel it surge through my arm. By doing this, I find I trust more in my abilities and my coaching because I am reminded that I have peo- ple on my side and I am prepared. But what ex- actly does it mean to be fearless? For some, fearless means being brave; how-
ever, many brave people still experience fear. For others, fearlessness can be a form of excitement that comes from adrenalin. Some people think fearlessness comes from confidence or pride, but this can quickly result in being overly self-confi- dent.
From my experience, fearlessness means
meeting your challenges head-on, despite how nervous or anxious you may be of the outcome. As athletes, we must learn to be fearless. Every time we learn a new element, we have no guar- antee that we will succeed. When we learn a new jump, we must not be afraid of falling. As skaters, everyone goes through times of not taking their jumps. It takes having a fearless attitude of “No matter what, I’m going to take this jump” in or- der to be successful.
Tis has been a challenging year. As I have
grown, I have developed several medical condi- tions which have required a series of X-rays and MRIs for my back and brain. Before each of these procedures, I do the same thing that I always do before competition. I run my fingers over the “Fearless” letters and remind myself that while I cannot control the outcome, I can control my thoughts.
Tis experience has shaped me as a person 12 FEBRUARY 2013
and a skater, because I have learned to fear less. My experience on and off the ice has taught me that I can’t not try something because I fear the outcome. I cannot worry about failing. I cannot worry about what others may think. I have to live in the moment. I have to try. Tis means that I must have faith in my instruction. Just as I trust in my doctors for my medical care, I must also trust in my coaching and follow my coach’s di- rection. Tis attitude has helped me overcome popping and bailing out of my jumps. Being fearless also means not fearing
change. Today is always different from tomor- row. Change is not always easy, but that doesn’t mean it is always bad. For example, I have had to relearn jumps in order to improve my technique. Tis is always frustrating because it is easy to be- lieve you have a jump after working so hard to get it in the first place. However, I have now learned not to fear temporarily losing a jump in order to make it permanently better. Te 1961 U.S. Figure Skating World Team
inspires me because, as skaters, they had achieved their goal of international competition. Tey were prepared. Tey were competitive. As peo- ple, they fearlessly pursued their dreams. Teir hopes and dreams live on in skaters like me be- cause even though they are gone, their technique and work ethic continues in so many people, in- cluding my own coaches. Tis is why we must remember to celebrate the past, because it makes us better people today. Fearless describes me because it is just how I
skate now. When I have my double Lutz consis- tent, I will be able to work on my double Axel. I know this will be a difficult jump to master. I know I will have to be patient and I know I cannot worry about whether I will be able to land the jump. I cannot focus on anything that I fear may or may not happen, and just like every- thing else, when I am ready to try I will finger the “Fearless” letters on my black band. I will collect my thoughts and focus on the present. I will be fearless. I will make the attempt; I will take the jump.
I will rise. Paige is from Geneva, Ill. She’s 13 and skates
at the pre-juvenile level. She’ll compete as a juvenile next season.
NEGU
by ASHLEY M. VAN DER SLUYS VEER (JUVENILE WINNER)
On Feb. 15, 1961, a plane crash was heard around the world. Seventy-two people were
killed, including the U.S. World Figure Skating Team. RISE is a touching, life-cel- ebrating movie that everybody must see. It’s about losing role models and men- tors in the skating community. A lot of people in the United States can’t relate to this kind of thing, but I can. I, too, have lost an inspiration. On Jan. 5, 2012, a girl I grew up with named Jessie Rees, passed away because of brain cancer. Jessie had long, beach-blonde hair with
Ashley and coach Felicia Beck
sparkling blue eyes and a big, beautiful smile. Unfortunately, the doctors found an inoperable brain tumor in an MRI on March 3, 2011. When she found out she had a brain tumor, she decided to “pay it forward.” Jessie chose to be better rather than being bitter and decided to help 200,000 other kids with cancer. She helped them by stuffing JoyJars. JoyJars are 64-ounce jars filled with “joy” (toys) given to kids with life-threatening illnesses. Jessie thought of making JoyJars when she
noticed how many get-well gifts she was getting. She also knew how sad and lonely having cancer could be. Tat’s when the idea hit her. She de- cided to give gifts to the other kids, like her, but who could not leave the hospital. She thought this would be a small way to bring a smile to their face during a difficult time. When I learned that Jessie had cancer, I was scared and afraid that I might lose her. But Jessie never showed that she was scared or sad. When I saw Jessie always smil- ing during chemotherapy, blood tests and shots, I knew that she was stronger and more courageous than I expected her to be. I also knew that she wasn’t afraid or discouraged one bit. When I re- alized that, I decided I had to be more like that, too.
While Jessie was battling cancer, she came up with NEGU. NEGU means Never Ever Give Up. NEGU has become not only my skat- ing motto, but my life motto, too. NEGU has taught me to be strong, and even though things don’t always go my way, I can’t get discouraged. NEGU has helped me live my life to the fullest and be grateful for what I have. NEGU has also helped me improve my skating on so many levels. NEGU has taught me to not get mad, irritated, or wish to go home when I miss a jump or spin over and over again. At that moment, when I’m feeling frustrated, I tell myself, “Sit down and breathe.” Ten I realize that things could be
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